A Warning, Snowbanks, and the Temperature Drop

A notice from the Department of Transportation the other day warned drivers of ice and snow accumulation on the highway between Behchoko and Yellowknife. A little overzealous I thought for the few remaining centimetre or two that sparsely covered only areas of shade around town. Fast forward some twenty kilometres into the countryside there are legitimate snowbanks on either side of the highway. Well that changed accessible locations for night. So there we were just off the side of the highway, trudging through some 30-40cm of snow covering the countryside, in -16. Guess who wasn’t dressed and prepared for that?Let’s just say all eight of us.

But the glow of light off the snow covered landscape as the aurora danced all across the sky some hours after we arrived was the most amazing feeling. It was a new feeling this season, that crunch of snow under our feet, some hoar frost on every weed and small bush being illuminated by passing car lights. It was the complete winter wonderland, and it’s going to be a very, very good winter.